Inexplicably, Kanye West and Lady Gaga’s highly anticipated tour “Fame Kills” is cancelled according to a statement released on Thursday by Live Nation. The tour was scheduled to begin on November 10, 2009 in Phoenix and run all the way through at least January.
Former Black Eyed Peas Band Members Transcend the Tour Bus To Become TV’s Hottest Composing Team
There was a time when the term "composer"' conjured up visions of some stately old gent commanding a massive orchestra with a baton. Fast forward to the present: technology has now made it possible to achieve the full sonic clout of an eighty-piece orchestra in a broom closet and a new breed of artisans -- including such big-budget composers as Danny Elfman and Trevor Rabin -- may be as likely to own a Stratocaster as a Steinway.
Mike Fratantuno, Terence Yoshiaki and Brian Lapin, three former founding members of the Black Eyed Peas band, have joined forces to formally launch themselves as Transcenders, a boutique music house specializing in film, television and commercial scoring. The Hollywood-based Transcenders are the series and main title composers for CW's new teen drama Gossip Girl, a music-heavy show with music supervision by Alexandra Patsavas. They previously created songs for Judd Apatow's Superbad and Knocked Up, the SenArt film Bonneville, and Chris Rock's I Think I Love My Wife. They composed the score for the Lionsgate/Element feature film College and the Universal/Beacon Pictures' DVD feature Bring It on: All Or Nothing, and additional scored music for Universal Pictures The 40 Year Old Virgin. They are the proud recipients of BMI Composer Awards for their work as episodic composers on the NBC sitcom Joey.
“If you’re a musician it’s very possible to make a transition from being on the road to composing,” notes attorney, Helen Yu of Yu Leseberg, who has helped the Transcenders make the transition from touring band members to successful composers. “People who had been in bands get tired of the traveling and touring lifestyle and want to find a bridge. They often ask, ‘How do I stay home, but how do I do what I love?’ Mark Mothersbaugh from Devo, Stewart Copeland from The Police and Jonathan Davis of Korn are all excellent examples of musicians who have succeeded in visual mediums.” It was natural for Transcenders to take their success with Black Eyed Peas and parlay it into a new career. It wasn’t automatic, but the Transcenders had the skills, name and acknowledgement to make it happen.”
Helen, who negotiates the Transcenders contracts and is involved with North Hudson Music, a publishing company that administers the trio’s music interests, recommends that musicians who are considering making the leap to scoring hone not just their musical skills, but their social skills.
To make the transition from songwriter and band member to composer, Helen recommends the following:
1) “It’s about meeting a whole new brand of people who are not in the music business. With the Transcenders, I advised them to get to know music supervisors, agents, and heads of music in film and television, and to build their reputations.”
2) There is also a shift in creative approach when one makes the change from the pop world to visual media. “When scoring to picture, you’re not writing songs; you have ten seconds to invoke emotions and feelings in the viewer”. In film, the focus shifts from holding the listeners attention for three minutes with a pop song, to supplementing and supporting the images on the screen and the emotions they convey.
3) Finally, there are significant technical requirements as well, Yu observes. “When you’re a composer, the studio or network is expecting you to deliver a final product. You’re the musician, the producer, the engineer and the mixer. You have to be able to do all of those jobs and it’s a different set of challenges.”
“It was natural for Transcenders to take their success with Black Eyed Peas and parlay it into a new career,” concludes Yu. “It wasn’t automatic, but the Transcenders had the skills, name, and acknowledgement to make it happen.”
About Transcenders:
In addition to years spent touring with the Black Eyed Peas (BEP), the three members of Transcenders are significant songwriters. Lapin co-wrote BEPs first single “Joints & Jam” in 1998. Fratantuno co-wrote both the 2001 MTV favorite “Request Line” featuring Macy Gray, and the Number One hit “Where Is The Love” featuring Justin Timberlake. Fratantuno and Yoshiaki also co-wrote the Grammy-winning Top 10 hit single “Lets Get It Started” with BEP, which earned them both 2004 Grammy nominations in the category of Best Rap Song. “Lets Get It Started” was also nominated for Record Of The Year.
Ultra-choreographer Wade Robson can now add Emmy winner to his long list of accolades. Robson took home an Emmy for Outstanding Choreography for his work on the hit Fox television show, So You Think You Can Dance. The Emmy comes as no surprise to fans of the show, who routinely rave when dancers perform his pieces.
Robson earned the Emmy for choreographing the piece “Ramalama” from the show's second season. The piece, which was first danced by the top nine dancers, proved to be the most popular among the dancers and fans alike, and was brought back and performed by all 20 dancers in the show's finale to critical acclaim. It's clear that Robson is a talented choreographer. However, Robson's talent has blossomed precisely because he has never limited himself to choreography.
Robson parlayed his talent as a dancer and choreographer into a multi-faceted entertainment career and fame and fortune that eludes typical choreographers. Wade Robson is represented by Los Angeles entertainment attorney Helen Yu. Yu, who has helped Robson secure deals in diverse areas including cinematography, tv and film production, original dance music production, his own MTV show, his own line of shoes, and the coup de grace, a three-picture director deal with Disney. While other choreographers may have stood content choreographing dances, Robson has become a household name by consistently taking advantage of opportunities.
Helen Yu says, “For Wade, choreography is his first love, and this has helped him on a global scale in front of millions of fans on SYTYD. With Robson's talent and his worldwide exposure, I knew it was only a matter of time before he took home an Emmy.”
This
summer’s smash television hit, So You Think You Can Dance, features
choreography by Wade Robson, a young man with an ever-rising media profile. Robson
is much more than just the creator of electrifying dance routines: he’s also an
actor, a director, a songwriter/producer, the creator of the MTV show, The
Wade Robson Project. Add to this his own line of footwear (Power Shoes), a
three-picture deal with Disney as a director/choreographer, and his original
dance music series made for aspiring dancers, and it all adds up to a full
slate of projects for this accomplished multi-disciplinary artist.
Robson
is able to expand his profile by using his choreography on So You Think You Can Dance to produce, direct,
and write original
music for the show. Choreography is the natural segue to music, if you have the
talent, as Robson surely does. On June 14, 2007, contestant Cedric performed a
solo to Robson’s original music, "Dream Within A Dream," from his
album "Wade Robson's Project-Dance Beats, Vol. 1," and Robson created
the full opening number, including choreography, costume design, and camera
movement. On June 21, 2007, the dancers performed the show’s opening number to
Robson’s song, “It Was All In Your Mind.” And on June 28, 2007, Robson was the
creative director for all aspects of that night’s winning routine, performed by
contestants Jaimie and Hok.
Robson’s
attorney, leading Los Angeles entertainment attorney Helen Yu,
of Yu Leseberg, negotiated and strategized each of Robson’s deals. She states:
"Normally, a dancer’s career is done by their late twenties, but Robson
has continued to expand his career by strategically planning his future beyond
just dancing and choreography. All forms of media and entertainment are
converging these days. Whether it is choreography, film, music, television,
art, or commercials, choreographers need to expand their repertoire outside
of choreography into other media. For Wade, I've been able to
meld his choreography with a successful career in music and video
directing, and also license his brand for a shoe line."
Most
people who are new to the entertainment industry do not understand how much
attorneys are involved in seeking out, setting up, and structuring the deals of
their clients. When an artist, such as choreographer Wade Robson, reaches
a level of visibility in the choreography world, Helen Yu recommends they do
the following:
1) Understand
the vital steps that you need to make to move your career beyond choreography.
2) Maximize
your profile using digital media, the internet, and other outlets. Each form of
media needs a separate
licensing
agreement and most attorneys are only trained to negotiate only music, television,
film, or digital media. Very few have experience in all four major areas.
3) Expand
to music. Music is natural segue for choreography, as music and dance
are so intertwined.
4) Most
importantly, find a good entertainment lawyer that can take you to the next
level. Choreographers and other talent often are not aware of the
importance of a good entertainment lawyer. They can help make or break
you.
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB June 21, 2007) Well known music composer, Danny Pelfrey was honored with a 2007 Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition For A Drama Series for the daytime drama Guiding Light at the 34th Annual Creative Arts & Entertainment Daytime Emmy Awards held on June 15, 2007 at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood. Pelfrey had previously been nominated for Outstanding Music Composition for the show Felicity.
While working on Guiding Light, Danny Pelfrey simultaneously composed the music for two additional shows, including scoring the acclaimed NBC drama American Dreams in which he also produced and arranged the songs performed by the show’s musical guests including Usher, Ashanti, Kelly Clarkson, Chris Isaak and Nick Lachey; along with the Lifetime original series Strong Medicine. As of date, Pelfrey has also been honored with four Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) Television Music awards for his work on Strong Medicine. Pelfrey first achieved notice for his musical scores on the ABC Network hit comedy series, Spin City, and the Dreamworks animated feature film, Joseph King of Dreams.
As Pelfrey’s success clearly illustrates, today’s generation of television composers are increasingly emerging from rock and pop music. A multi-instrumentalist musician, Danny Pelfrey began his career performing as a soloist on such shows as David Letterman and The Tonight Show. He subsequently recorded with a roster of music icons that includes Aretha Franklin, Smokey Robinson, David Crosby, Eric Clapton, and James Taylor.
Danny Pelfrey’s is legally represented by Los Angeles entertainment attorney, Helen Yu, Pelfrey’s film and television agent is Rich Jacobellis of First Artists Management.
Helen Yu, Esq. notes, “Danny is a composer who understands the big picture and knows that having excellent legal representation is a crucial component in a composer’s career. Creating music for television includes a wide spectrum of complex issues including budget restraints, composer fees, delivery requirements, musician union re-use and residual fees, screen credit, copyright and publishing ownership, soundtracks, and licensing. We are with our clients every step of the way”.
For more information, please contact danny@dannypelfrey.com. Website: dannypelfrey.com
In the crowded SoCal music scene, Nitrus Records is setting itself apart from the pack with the help of savvy entertainment lawyer, Helen Yu. Though Nitrus has been releasing records in genres from metal to electronic since 2004 and has had its music featured in such popular TV shows as “Entourage” and “CSI Miami”, this year promises to be an even more fruitful year for the innovative label.
2007 is poised to be a breakout year for Nitrus Records, with the label set to release two new albums soon. Ultra-producer Uberzone is due to release his album “Ideology” on August 21, 2007. Ideology, a follow up to the critically acclaimed FUBAR EP, will be his first full-length release on Nitrus. Having released previous albums on Astralwerks and City of Angels, Uberzone is to take his banging uptempo style and ride Nitrus’ wave of success to the next level.
Meanwhile, Wired All Wrong, the groundbreaking duo of Jeff Turzo (God Lives Underwater), and Matt Mahaffey (sElf), is in the studio working on their second album, a follow up to “Break Out The Battletapes.” Before WAW both artists had seen their share of success, releasing multiple albums on various independent labels, and getting heavy rotation on MTV2. Now fresh off a tour, Turzo and Mahaffey plan to make WAW a household name. The band continues to blur the boundaries between genres, and their versatility is evidenced by their recent production work. The duo produced Hellogoodbye’s chart-topping single “Here in Your Arms,” which reached #14 on Billboard, and #9 on the pop charts. In addition, WAW is producing other Sony and Epic bands including Shut Up Stella, Liam and Me, and White Tie Affair.
Working with Los Angeles entertainment attorney Helen Yu has enabled Nitrus to be a big player despite its relatively small catalog. She helped Nitrus ink a deal with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) to release their 2004 compilation, and has helped them take advantage of distribution and touring channels normally unavailable to a fledgling label. However, Helen Yu is also careful to make sure her clients expand beyond those traditional revenue streams into the myriad of digital opportunities available, including ringtones, downloads, online promotion and digital licensing. As a team, Nitrus Records and Los Angeles entertainment lawyer Helen Yu expect to reach new heights in 2007.
There is a growing trend of Latinos making headway in popular music and culture. Artists need to take command of the various revenue streams their singing creates. Entertainment attorneys can assist them in accomplishing this.
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) June 7, 2007 – The fastest growing demographic in America is American-Latinos. This includes the growing number of English speaking America-Latino musical artists who are experiencing huge success. Yet, with this success, there is a growing concern that these musical artists are not prepared for the complexity of the music industry.
Hip Hop artist, “Down a/k/a Kilo” is currently the number one English speaking American-Latin rapper in America. His song, “Lean Like a Cholo,” is taking the airwaves and sales charts by storm. A “Cholo” is a Latino who lives a hip-hop life, style of dress, lingo and attitude. Down a/k/a Kilo has been #1 in sales on iTunes Latino with over 85,000 copies sold in the last four weeks. This Cholo is truly “pop”, and is scheduled to appear on Ryan Seacrest’s morning radio show on June 12, 2007.
Down is signed to Silent Giant Entertainment, who is distributed through the Universal Music Group’s Machete Records. Silent Giant is run by Edward “E-Dub” Rios, who has been called the Russell Simmons of Latin Hip Hop. E-Dub’s vision and ability to keep things moving forward in the Latin Hip Hop movement is widely recognized as a national force in helping the successful cross over of American-Latin hip hop music, especially for second generation Latin teens. He is also the creator of the widely successful, nationally syndicated radio show, “Pocos Pero Locos”.
“With this level of success, as an experienced entertainment attorney, you want to see the artist make it across the finish line. Many artists are in danger of either getting taken advantage of, entering into the wrong agreements with the wrong people, or not making the right strategic decisions to leverage their momentum and keep their careers on track,” says Los Angeles entertainment attorney Helen Yu, who represents many leading musical artists including rapper Down a/k/a Kilo and producer Edward “E-Dub” Rios.
To maximize a musician’s career, Ms. Yu recommends:
About Helen Yu
Helen Yu, Esq is a Los Angeles entertainment lawyer with the law firm of Yu Leseberg, A Professional Law Corporation. Her practice focuses on helping musical artists, film producers, actors, television producers, and directors to negotiate bigger and better deals and strategically position themselves in the entertainment industry. For more information call 310-286-7667 or email contact@yuleseberg.com
